1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for producing steroidal alcohols, and more particularly to the microbiological oxidation of a sterol to 20.alpha.-hydroxymethylpregna-1,4-dien-3-one and/or 20.alpha.-hydroxymethylpregn-4-en-3-one with a new microorganism.
2. Description of the Prior Art
20.alpha.-Hydroxymethylpregna-1,4-dien-3-one (22-hydroxy-23, 24-bisnorchola-1,4-dien-3-one) (hereinafter referred to as HPD) and 20.alpha.-hydroxymethylpregn-4-en-3-one (22-hydroxy-23, 24-bisnorchola-4-en-3-one) (hereinafter referred to as 4HP) are significant intermediates for the synthesis of valuable steroids such as corticosteroids, progestogens, anabolic hormones and the like. ##STR1##
It has been known that HPD and 4HP are formed by cultivating microorganisms belonging to the genus Mycobacterium (See (A) Applied Microbiology 23 No. 1 72-77 (1972); (B) U.S. Pat. No. 3,684,657; and (C) U.S. Pat. No. 3,759,791). However, in the processes described in the above literatures, only slight amounts of HPD and 4HP are formed, and therefore, the above processes are commercially insignificant. That is to say, the concentrations of HPD formed in the processes described in literatures A, B and C are reported to be about 20, 40 and lower than 20 .mu.g per ml of the culture medium, respectively.
It is also described in an example of literature C that 4HP is formed at a concentration of only 40 .mu.g/ml. However, the main product in the above processes is androsta-1,4-diene-3,17-dione (hereinafter referred to as ADD) or androst-4-ene-3,17-dione (hereinafter referred to as 4AD), and the ratio of the formed HPD and 4HP to the main product is less than 1/10.
Therefore, there is a continuing need for developing a commercially attractive process for producing HPD and 4HP.